Chapter 25
“I don’t want to show you,” Yasmin hid her injured hand behind her back, her bright eyes filled with stubborn defiance, almost like a willful teenager. “Even if I shared it, it wouldn’t make a difference.” She thought, “You can’t heal my wound, and you can’t undo the pain you’ve caused me.”
The surrounding guests exchanged glances. A well-dressed woman chuckled and said, “Veronica, I just asked if you came with Caleb, and you said yes. Was that a lie?”
Veronica’s face stiffened, but she forced a smile. “It’s a misunderstanding. I just happened to run into Caleb at the entrance, so we walked in together.” She had arrived much earlier and deliberately waited for Caleb to enter side-by-side, creating the impression of an intimate relationship—exactly what she wanted. She hadn't expected Yasmin to expose her so openly, and even more humiliatingly, Caleb hadn’t even tried to defend her.
Though the other guests remained silent, their curious glances carried layers of meaning. Regardless of how Yasmin ended up in this situation, she was Caleb’s legitimate wife and fully recognized by the Grant family. Veronica’s petty tricks made her look no different from those who schemed to bed other people’s husbands for social advancement.
A cheerful male voice cut in, “Yasmin and Caleb get along just fine. I don’t know who’s spreading rumors.”
Veronica turned to see Jeremy appearing unexpectedly. For a moment, she wanted to yell at him, but swallowed the urge. Yasmin gave Jeremy a bewildered look. He held his chin proudly, flashing a self-satisfied expression, as if saying, “You don’t need to thank me.” She thought, “Wait, which part of my relationship with Caleb looks great to you?”
Caleb glanced at Jeremy but didn’t respond. His gaze drifted back to Yasmin.
“Jeremy, what are you doing here?” Veronica tried to dismiss him. “Didn’t Dad hire a tutor for you? Shouldn’t you be in foreign language class?”
Jeremy, who had recently dyed his hair a trendy silver-gray, ruffled his hair and said, “I don’t understand a word of that language, so I figured I’d come watch the…”
Veronica, attempting to appear gentle and kind, said, “Jeremy, you’re going to be working soon. You should take your studies seriously.”
He looked at her as if she were speaking nonsense. “Work? Our family’s filthy rich! Why do I need to work?” He scoffed. “The world’s full of trust-fund kids, so why can’t I be one? Even if I worked a month, my paycheck wouldn’t cover a single meal. Do you think Dad would dare let me into the company? What if I mess everything up?”
Both Veronica and Yasmin were speechless. Yasmin had always known Jeremy was spoiled, but she hadn’t realized his self-awareness of his situation.
Jeremy even dragged Caleb into the conversation. With absolute confidence, he turned to Caleb and asked, “Right, my dear brother-in-law?”
To everyone’s shock, Caleb nodded in agreement—and he meant it. The Grant family was massive, with over a dozen cousins in Caleb’s generation alone; at least eight were just like Jeremy—useless trust-fund kids whose only requirement was to spend their money quietly and avoid trouble.
Veronica, furious at Jeremy repeatedly calling Caleb his “brother-in-law,” nearly lost control but quickly shifted her focus to Yasmin. “Yasmin, your injuries haven’t healed. You really shouldn’t be going out so much. It’d be terrible if you accidentally hurt yourself again.” To Veronica, Yasmin shouldn’t even be here.
Brenda nearly cursed aloud. Who was responsible for Yasmin’s injuries in the first place? A cold sneer flashed through Brenda’s eyes as she said, “Veronica, that dress…is it the exact same style as Yasmin’s?”
The guests had initially been distracted. Both dresses were a soft white, and Yasmin and Veronica wore different jewelry, so no one paid much attention. But now that Brenda pointed it out, the two dresses were identical! And yet, Yasmin somehow looked better in it. It wasn't a fashion faux pas to wear matching outfits, but being the one who looked worse was.
“Oh, what a coincidence!” Veronica exclaimed, realizing this for the first time. Her attention had been completely on Caleb.
Brenda smirked. “This isn’t a coincidence. Yasmin’s dress is a vintage haute couture piece from 1998. Only five exist worldwide, and I personally know the owners of the other four. So, tell me…” Her smile widened. “Where exactly did yours come from?”
Veronica’s face twisted. She forced herself to stay calm. “Ms. Rhodes, what do you mean by that?”
“You don’t understand. Authentic vintage haute couture pieces are traceable. So, tell me what exactly are you wearing?”
Now that everyone was looking closely, the difference was clear. Yasmin’s dress had a superior sheen, its pleats flowed more elegantly, and the pearls and diamonds were arranged with expert craftsmanship. Veronica’s looked like a cheap knockoff.
“This dress was borrowed from my agent…I—I don’t know where it came from,” Veronica stammered, panicking. She had bought a high-quality replica, it had cost a fortune, and the seller had sworn no one would notice the difference.
“The way you dodge the blame is straight out of a celebrity PR playbook,” Brenda sneered. “Veronica, why don’t you mind your own business instead of obsessing over others?” Her goal tonight was to humiliate Veronica.
An announcement sounded. The auction was about to begin. Brenda and Yasmin took their seats, ignoring Veronica. Veronica was on the verge of tears. She didn’t dare look at the other guests or at Caleb. She felt unbearable disgrace. She wanted to rip the dress off, but she had no choice.
Of all the people in the world, she hated dealing with Brenda the most. Veronica both envied and looked down on Brenda. She envied Brenda’s unconditional parental love; her parents had never felt the need for a son, giving Brenda absolute confidence. At the same time, Veronica looked down on Brenda’s arrogance and recklessness, seeing her as lacking the refinement of a proper socialite.
“Veronica, our seats are over there.” Jeremy pointed to their assigned seats. He then noticed something—Caleb’s seat was between Yasmin and Veronica.
Just as Veronica felt pleased, Jeremy casually took her seat. He grinned. “Veronica, I want to sit with Caleb tonight!” Veronica was close to screaming.